Dogs of God [Paperback]

Pinckney Benedict (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

A tale of malevolence and violence, this "stunning novel" (New York Times Book Review) is the story of Tannhauser, a crazed backswoodsman turned drug lord, and the idiosymcratic characters who are enticed into his destructive orbit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this taut, muscular thriller set in contemporary rural West Virginia, short-story writer Benedict ( The Wrecking Yard ) hurtles the reader toward a chillingly apocalyptic climax replete with high-tech weaponry and old-fashioned treachery. Peopled with an assortment of New South grotesques, the story centers on Goody, a young bare-fisted fighter new to the neighborhood, and Tannhauser, a deranged, 12-fingered backwoods drug lord with a penchant for sadism. They and a host of other odd, not to say perverse, characters are memorably portrayed, due in large part to Benedict's deft use of multiple points of view. The down-at-the-heels atmosphere of the backwoods South is also convincing; the region's tattered history reposes in the land, and the characters both literally and figuratively stumble through it, bumbling onto an overgrown confederate cemetery, an eerie abandoned resort and subterranean, prehistoric chambers as they move toward their inevitable appointment with destiny. Benedict portrays Goody's loss of innocence and painful acquisition of wisdom in prose laced with Appalachian figures of speech, the down-home rhythms of ridge-runner dialect and an undercurrent of menacing violence. A few of the plot elements seem contrived (all dispensable characters neatly kill each other off), and the fates of several compelling characters are left up in the air, but by and large this is an ambitious and skillful literary thriller, not to mention a rip-roaring read. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

In this first novel, Benedict continues his exploration of rural West Virginia life begun in his two short story collections, The Wrecking Yard ( LJ 1/91) and Town Smokes ( LJ 5/15/87). As in the short stories, the writing here is strong and vivid. The wide cast of characters includes Goody (a boxer), Dwight (a tourist guide), drug enforcement agents, marijuana growers, gunrunners, illegal immigrants, and a variety of lost and corrupt souls. They live and die in an atmosphere of bleakness and despair, with violence and brutality as constant companions. The novel begins slowly, but, once the characters come together, the action is nonstop (and none of it pleasant). Benedict's style and themes may be easier to digest in short story format, but there is no denying the book's gut-wrenching power. Buy this for fans of the early novels of Cormac McCarthy and Benedict's earlier books.
- Nancy Pearl, Director, Washington Ctr. for the Book at the Seattle P. L.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Plume (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452273706
• ISBN-13: 978-0452273702
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,521,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, June 3, 2005

By 

Ronnie (Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogs of God (Paperback)

Having previously read Benedict's two collections of short stories and really enjoyed them I sought out this his first (and only) novel.

It is the story of an ex-military backwoods man who has set up and keeps captive his own community to harvest his dope. Into this (eventually) comes a bareknuckle boxer named Goody. While it is not a terrible book it seems the transition from short story was not easy for Mr Benedict. His short stories are raw, sometimes bleak tales of the rural working class and underclass of West Virginia and show how well he can develop a character, a situation and an atmosphere. In Dogs of God he seems to have gone more for an action packed and slightly far fetched story. Despite this the story is fairly slow moving until nearer the end of the book and there are many characters introduced. The problem is that many of the characters are superfluous to the story. As the book starts you have several different stories and characters developing. Though most of them meet up at the end there seems to be little rhyme or reason as to why they are there and what effect they have on the story by being there.

The guy living in the woods with his dogs, while on its own his story would've made quite a good short story in the context of this novel he is pointless. Some of the other charaters stories similiarly could be short stories adapted for this novel.

I don't mind the slow moving part of this book at all, in fact I prefer this part to the improbable ending. In these parts Benedict sets an atmosphere similiar to his short stories (the two bare knuckle fights are very good)and this part is very enjoyable. However I found it a complete anticlimax when many of the characters go nowhere and do nothing except to get killed in the over the top ending.

I'm sure that Mr Benedict is a very talented writer but I was disappointed with this effort. It did come across as a short story writer writing a novel. I'm sure he has much better in him but unfortunately he has not written anything (that I am aware of) since. Not a terrible book but I won't be harassing my friends to read it

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fine Writing Falls Flat at the End, May 12, 2000

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dogs of God (Paperback)

This book is many of the things it is alleged to be: violent, suspenseful, full of well drawn weird characters, and a description of rural West Virginia that makes it as menacing as any exotic setting. The plot keeps driving and driving, bringing a bare-knuckle fighter, gun runners, a psycho drug lord, enslaved illegal immigrants, and other assorted folk together for a grand shoot 'em out climax. Unfortunately it falls a bit flat in the end as things get a little too odd, I can't quite put my finger on it, but the end didn't satisfy me or justify the buildup. Others may be happier with the results.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book, stupid ending., June 9, 2002

By 

donna grant - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogs of God (Audio Cassette)

This luminous, riveting and maddening book had me in thrall until the last fifty pages when it degenerates into a Rambo style mess. Oh, but when it's good it's terrific, I'm anxious to read this author's other books.